You Better Be
by sue-sylvester-shuffle
Summary: Liz Lemon's day takes a nasty left turn when she finds out that Tracy was only able to make it to that week's show because Kenneth 'took one for the team' and ended up in the hospital. Takes place in 'Hiatus' (season one, episode twenty-one).


Liz Lemon let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when the credits rolled.

It was all over. All the stress. Tracy was back, Jack was happy with her again, and her awkward long-distance relationship with Floyd was over. Finally, her life was settling back into its normal patterns. Work, eat. Rant to Jack about feminism and bad McDonalds commercials. Talk to Pete about his son that he's scared of. Talk to Kenneth about life back on his farm in Georgia. Repeat.

Kenneth. Liz remembered Tracy recommending the blonde page for the 'NBC Medal of Excellence' and her telling him that that didn't exist. "Tracy," Liz began, stopping the actor as he stepped off of the stage, pulling off his cowboy hat. "What was it that Kenneth did that made you think he deserved that medal or whatever?"

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Tracy said. "Well, K-man and I had to get here pretty quick, Liz Lemon! And this ambulance dude, he wouldn't drive us anywhere unless someone was hurt bad."  
"Oh, God." Liz's stomach dropped to her feet. She already knew where this was going. "Tracy, you didn't-"

"My boy Ken took one for the team!" Tracy continued proudly.

"Tracy, how could you let him do that!?" cried Liz. She stormed off, pushing him aside, and hurried on her way.

She jumped into a taxi as soon as she left the building. "Hospital. Now. I'll pay you ten dollars extra if you hurry it up!"

The cabbie nodded, and stepped on the gas. Liz held onto the seat in front of her. The more she thought of Kenneth, with his cheerful, round face, being hurt badly, tears began to form in her eyes. She ignored the world around her and allowed them to fall.

"Is everything alright, lady?" asked the cabbie.

Liz shook her head and pressed her forehead to the seat, trying to drown out the busy streets around the taxi. Please be alright.

When they arrived at the hospital, the cabbie must've felt sorry for her, because he didn't ask for any money in return. Liz sobbed out a thank you and ran inside.

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" asked the woman at the front desk as Liz raced inside, fumbling her sleeve across her eyes in an attempt to dry her tears.

Liz wished everyone would stop asking her that. "I… I'm looking for my friend. Apparently he was brought in here earlier today?"

"Name?"

"Kenneth Parcell?"

The woman glanced at her computer. "Ah, yes. Mr Parcell is in room three-sixteen."

"Thank you." Liz said tremulously. She headed over to the elevator and pressed the button.

Third floor. She waited until it came down to the ground floor, and then entered.

Kenneth's room was just down the hall from the elevator on the third floor. Liz paused for a moment at the door, trying to brace herself for what was to come.

Don't cry, she told herself sternly. Don't you start crying again.

She went inside. Kenneth was lying in the bed, asleep. There were bandages wrapped around his forehead, concealed under his blonde hair. His right arm was done up in a sling. Liz felt a rush of grief as strong and tangible as a brick. "Kenneth!" she gasped, racing over and throwing her arms around him.

"Ms Lemon?" His voice was sleepy and slow- evidently he was on some kind of pain medication. "Is that you…?"

"Yes, it's me." Liz pressed her cheek to his shoulder- he was here, he was alive. "You're… you're okay."

"I'm fine." Kenneth said. "Ms Lemon, are you… are you crying?"

Am I? Liz hadn't noticed. A stab of self-disgust shot through her when she brushed her fingers by her cheeks only to find that they were damp with tears. "Well, I… I was just so worried."

"About me? Really?" Even through the haze of medication, his blue eyes filled with joy. "You were really worried about me?"

"Of course!" Liz looked up, dark eyes wide. "You're my friend, Kenneth. If I thought for a moment that anything had happened to you, I… I'd be petrified. So, yeah, I was worried. But you're okay. You're fine. So I'm okay."

Kenneth smiled. "That means a lot to me, Ms Lemon."

Liz pulled away from him, and then leaned over to kiss him on the forehead. "I'm gonna leave you to rest up, okay?"

"Okay. I'll be back at work as soon as the doctors let me." he promised.

"Don't rush yourself." Liz reminded him gently. "I don't want you getting hurt again."

"Don't worry about me, ma'am." Kenneth grinned. "I'll always be here."

A small smile spread across Liz's face. "You better be."

end


End file.
